It's Called Alopecia
by Phelpsgirlxxx
Summary: Be careful when making assumptions, chances are you'll be wrong.


**AN: I have finally finished my exams, meaning I may post more one shots and start posting for the sequel to Love Bites. I hope you like this quick one. Yeah, thanks for reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf, obviously. None of the things here happened in the show.**

People were worrying. Stiles had been exhausted for the past few days, and it wasn't something that the pack had missed. He was completely exhausted. He still did research for the latest threat of Beacon Hills, despite the assurance that he should just be resting. The pack had begged him, told him that they could do some of their own research and that he should just sleep for a while.

They had first noticed two weeks before, when Stiles was sitting next to Derek in the kitchen. He had cooked them all breakfast in the newly refurbished Hale house which was, at the insistence of Stiles and Lydia, fully functional and didn't have huge gaping holes in the walls.

Derek had been talking to Lydia about the newest threat when his boyfriend slipped sideways, crashing against him. If Derek hadn't of been a werewolf he would have probably fallen out of his chair at the surprise.

" Stiles? Stiles, are you okay?" Derek asked shaking him.

" What's wrong with Stiles?" Isaac asked coming into the room, worry etched across his forehead.

" Stiles!" Lydia shouted, snapping her fingers in front of his face as Derek continued to shake him.

" Hmm? What's going on? Did something happen?" Stiles asked coming to, and clearly confused.

" You just fell side ways." Derek told him, running a hand down Stiles' back, and Stiles seemed to subconsciously lean in to the comfort.

" Stiles, you're exhausted!" Lydia cried.

" Bag check for Stiles eyes." Stiles muttered, trying to light the situation.

" Go back to bed." Derek told him.

" I need to feed the pups. They'll be training most of the today..."

" I'll do it." Isaac said sincerely.

They all turned to face him, surprise littering each of their faces. He shrugged his shoulders lightly.

" I used to cook for my Dad all the time."

Stiles was immediately at his side, trying to offer comfort. Isaac normally froze up a little at the mentions of his father that he sometimes accidentally dropped into conversation. However Stiles was still shaky on his feet.

" But what about…?" Stiles began, restarting the conversation as he moved to lean on Isaac, however with a look from Lydia he snapped his mouth shut.

" Come on Stiles."

Derek led Stiles from the room and up to their room in the house. After the Sheriff had died, Stiles had gotten emancipation, but there was no way he could afford to keep his old house, so around two weeks later he had moved in with Derek and Isaac. Officially Stiles had his own room, but he mainly just slept with Derek.

However in his first few days living with Derek and Isaac he had just locked himself in his room and not left. It had taken a while for him to finally admit he wasn't sleeping and start sleeping with his boyfriend for the comfort Derek was very happy to offer.

" He really needs to sleep more." Isaac muttered looking at the retreating form of Stiles.

" That he does." Lydia agreed.

STEREK

When Stiles hair began falling out, he was still exhausted. It was just little bits of hair in small circles on his head. Surprisingly it had been Scott who had first noticed the thinning of Stiles' hair in certain areas, and he had panicked.

" Lydia!"

Lydia sighed as she turned in the corridor to look at Scott who was racing towards her, carefully dodging so he didn't bump into anyone. His backpack was bouncing on his back like mad as he darted towards her.

" Scott, what is it?"

The latest threat had been dealt with, and Lydia was beginning to wonder whether there was another threat already. It had only been, a few days or something since the last one, and they normally got at least a bit of time before hand.

" Okay, I am worried about Stiles."

" Did he pass out again?" She asked, tucking a strand of strawberry blond hair behind her ear.

" No that's not it."

" Well…?"

" I think he has cancer."

" What gives you that idea?"

Scott began telling her about Stiles' lack of appetite, how he was stressed and how his hair was thinning, as well as his exhaustion and how he'd been on a trip to the doctors as well. Also the fact that Stiles would no longer take off the red hat he had bought at some shop in the next town over.

" Have you told Derek about this?" Lydia asked, a moment of consideration later.

" No."

" Well then.."

Lydia dragged Scott out of school by his hand, but without resistance she knew Scott had just wanted to tell someone about it. He looked really worried understandably.

" Wait, did you research the symptoms?" Lydia asked as they drove towards the old Hale house. Hopefully Stiles would make some sort of excuse for them in chemistry, they didn't really want Harris on their cases.

" Well no..." Scott admitted.

" How do you know about cancer then?"

" Stiles' Grandma had it."

" Oh."

The rest of the drive was full of silence apart from the slight hum of the engine. Scott began to wonder whether Lydia could see into the future, they didn't know what she was, but maybe she was psychic. Maybe she could tell whether Stiles would die or not.

Scott couldn't loose his best friend. He wouldn't allow it. They'd been friends since they were four, and Scott couldn't bear the idea of loosing his best friend, of loosing his brother.

When they pulled up at the Hale house, it was only half an hour before the end of school. Derek was reading in the kitchen, and his eyebrows shot up at the sight of them.

" School isn't over yet." He said matter of factly.

" Yeah, but we wanted to talk to you before Stiles and Isaac got back."

" Okay..." He pushed his book to one side after folding the corner of the page over and closing it. He looked towards the two of them as they both took seats opposite him.

Lydia opened her mouth to start, but Scott was already babbling his theory to Derek, who looked as if he was about to explode. Sadness crossed his face as he listened, and it seemed he was agreeing with what Scott had to say.

Derek was crying, and it was one of the most awful things Scott had ever seen. He would rather go up against Kate Argent again than try and comfort a crying Derek. Derek's face was buried in his hands, as his elbows rested against his knees, and his shoulders shook gently.

It took about half an hour of trying to awkwardly reassure Derek that they'd find a way to help Stiles, hell they'd give him the bite if he needed to, before Derek regained his composure.

Derek was silent as Lydia and Scott talked on the couch and messaged the rest of the pack explaining what was happening. They told the rest of the pack about the cancer threat and how they would do everything to help Stiles, but it shook all of the pack. Stiles was pack, and there was no way a member of their pack could be dying. Derek started making coffee and snacks for Stiles and Isaac for when they came home.

Once the door opened revealing a tired looking Stiles and a nervous Isaac, did Derek speak again, flinging himself at Stiles and wrapping him into a massive hug, which made Stiles go slightly pink.

Derek was sobbing in his shoulder.

" Derek, er...what's going on?"

" I don't want you to die. God, please don't die Stiles."

" Wait, what's happening? Is there another threat?" Stiles asked alarmed, eyes darting around the room.

" But you have cancer..." Lydia began, sympathy in her eyes.

" Cancer? I have cancer? Do I smell different? How can you tell?" Stiles asked frantically, sniffing his clothing as if that would help.

" Wait, you mean you don't have cancer?" Isaac asked.

" No? Not that I know of. Is that why you were acting so weird in the car?" Stiles asked.

" Well yeah, I was worried you were dying!"

" Why would you even… is this about the hair thing?"

" Yeah." Scott admitted.

" How many people did you exactly tell?"

" The whole pack." Scott muttered.

Stiles ran a hand over his face, before pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut.

" Get them all here. As soon as possible."

With that Stiles stormed off into the kitchen, beckoning for Isaac, the only person he didn't seem too mad at to follow him.

" He's mad at us." Derek stated.

" Maybe we should have talked to him before telling everyone he had cancer. I mean we weren't sure, and now we've worried Jackson, Boyd and Erica, for no reason apparently."

" We're idiots." Derek muttered.

" Yeah." Scott agreed.

It took about thirty minutes for the entirety of the pack to arrive, and when they did Stiles made them all sit on one of the many soft couches Lydia had picked out for the living room.

" Do you have cancer?" Erica blurted.

" Someone thought it would be a good idea to say that I have cancer before checking with me..." Stiles began, glancing accusingly in the direction of Scott, Derek and Lydia.

" Sorry." They muttered in unison.

" So you don't have cancer? Oh thank God." Jackson muttered quietly.

" No."

" But your hair?" Boyd asked.

" It's a thing called Alopecia."

Lydia gave a slight 'oh' of understanding while the rest of them looked on confused.

" Alopecia is an illness where your hair falls out in little patches I guess." Stiles began.

" What causes it?" Boyd asked.

" It's mainly stress from what the Doctor said. But my hair will grow back, and it isn't harmful for me. I am not going to die, and it definitely isn't cancer."

" So the sleeping is because you're exhausted and stressed?" Isaac asked.

" Yeah."

" Oh thank God."

" What are you on for it?" Lydia asked.

" Minoxidil at the moment, but there is a chance they will change me to different meds at some point. But minoxidil is working okay at the moment and it doesn't really impact my adderall."

" So it's from stress?"

" Yeah."

" And there is nothing we can do?" Jackson asked.

" Nope. My hair will grow back, and until then, I will continue wearing my hat."

Everyone nodded, most going to hug Stiles, thankful he wasn't dying, before they split into smaller groups and talking before Stiles suggested a movie. As The Avengers began playing, inwardly everyone made a deal to lay off Stiles for a bit, not wanting to stress him out any more.


End file.
